Vanilla Crescents

01Method

1. 1

   Sift the flour and sugar together onto a clean work surface, then add the ground nuts. Slice the cold butter into thin pieces directly onto the mixture and add the vanilla seeds.

2. 2

   Using just your fingertips, work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs — this should take no longer than 5 minutes. Then quickly bring the crumbs together into a rough ball.

3. 3

   Fraisage: Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Using the heel of your hand — not your whole palm, which is too warm — push a portion of the dough away from you, smearing it about 6 inches across the surface. This evenly distributes the fat through the flour and gives the cookies a more tender, crumbly texture.

4. 4

   Work through the entire dough in sections this way, then gather it back into a ball using a bench scraper or your hands, and repeat the process one more time.

5. 5

   Shape the finished dough into a ball, wrap it in two layers of plastic wrap, and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or overnight if possible.

6. 6

   Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Roll the dough out to about 5–6 mm thick and cut out crescent shapes using a round cutter. Alternatively, you can pinch off pieces of dough, roll them into small logs, and shape them into crescents by hand.

7. 7

   Bake the crescents on a baking sheet for about 12 minutes, until they are just lightly golden. Transfer them to a plate and let them cool completely — this step is essential, otherwise the powdered sugar will become damp and clump.

8. 8

   Once fully cooled, toss the crescents in powdered sugar mixed with vanilla seeds and store in an airtight container in a cool place.